Limapontia senestra (Quatrefages, 1844)
Superdomain | Biota | |
Kingdom | Animalia | |
Phylum | Mollusca | |
Class | Gastropoda | |
Subclass | Heterobranchia | |
Infraclass | Euthyneura | |
Subterclass | Tectipleura | |
Superorder | Sacoglossa | |
Superfamily | Plakobranchoidea | |
Family | Limapontiidae | |
Genus | Limapontia | |
Species | Limapontia senestra (Quatrefages, 1844) | |
Classification according to Bouchet et al. (2017) Taxonomic source: World Register of Marine Species (AphiaID: 140231). |
- Actaeonia corrugata Alder & Hancock, 1848
- Actaeonia senestra Quatrefages, 1844
- Cenia cocksi Alder & Hancock, 1848
- Limapontia cornuta Giard, 1873
Description
The slug-like body may reach 6 mm in length, with the body coloured marbled olive-brown to black with paler extremities (the short tail and the head tentacles). It could have a slightly wrinkled dorsum. The head bears a pair of finger-like tentacles, characteristic of L. senestra and absent in other species of Limapontia. Those tentacles may be absent in juvenile specimens (smaller than 2 mm). The anal and renal openings are located in the midline of the body, at about two thirds of the body length from the head.
Biology
It is commonly found feeding on filamentous algae of the genus Cladophora and Acrosiphonia. It may share habitat with Limapontia capitata.
Etymology
- Limapontia, from Greek “Limax”, slug + “pontos”, of the sea.
- Senestra, probably from old French “senestre”, from Latin “sinistra”, means left, perverse, weird, bad, adverse, hostile.
Distribution
From Orkney and Norway down to French Atlantic coast and North of Spain. Widespread around Britain and Ireland.
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Abundance
Western Mediterranean: | ![]() |
Eastern Mediterranean: | ![]() |
Atlantic Ocean: | ![]() |
More pictures



Bibliography
Further reading
- "Estran 22" Faune et flore de la zone de balancement des marées en Côtes d'Armor
- Alexander Semenov (Flickr)
- Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Cataloging Diversity in the Sacoglossa
- Flickr pictures
- Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera
- Marine Species Identification Portal
- Medslugs (Atl. NE)
- NCBI GenBank
- OBIS - Search by Taxon
- Sea Slug Forum
- The Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland
- World Register of Marine Species
Cite this article as:
Pontes, Miquel, Manuel Ballesteros, Enric Madrenas (2022) "Limapontia senestra" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 19/04/2016. Accessed: 17/05/2022. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/p3BAA)